|
Post by kulamauiman on Jan 20, 2010 3:55:56 GMT
I recently (as in, a few months ago max) upped the wattage in my terrarium, and then repotted my very pot-bound U. longifolia. It was in pure LFS (but was mostly "root" at the point of repotting), I took away more than half of it, keeping what seemed to be the "center" of the plant, and put it in the same sized pot (roughly five inches across) but in a more Nepenthes-like mix of peat, LFS, perlite, orchid bark, hort sand and some lava rock. Point is, either the repotting or the increased wattage or both has induced a flower, a first for this plant in my experience. Did adding more light intensity also add more heat? The first time i got this plant to bloom for me indoors I had it originally growing under a shop light open room, ambient temps (60-70). Then moved it to a tank lit by two 55 watt compact florescent lights and this tank easily got to 90 F per day . From seed it has taken close to 1.5 years to get them to bloom. However this has been all out doors from the beginning. Not sure but can probably push them to grow insanely indoors, keeping warm, well lit and humid. But constant temps, i doubt they will bloom. My utricularia nelumbifolia is also putting up a flower spike this year. Will get pictures if anything comes of it. Mach Fukada
|
|
|
Post by kulamauiman on Feb 12, 2010 4:04:19 GMT
|
|
|
Post by ICPS-bob on Feb 12, 2010 17:38:12 GMT
Mach, my experience is that many of the U. nelumbifolia "flower stalks" turn out to be tendrils seeking a new place to invade. Occasionally they develop into flowers, but for most of mine, if they find suitable media, "root" and become a plantlet. After surviving near freezing winter temperatures in my unheated greenhouse, the plants flower from June to October, but continue to also put out the tendrils seeking new areas.
|
|
|
Post by unstuckintime on Feb 12, 2010 19:47:00 GMT
Did adding more light intensity also add more heat? The first time i got this plant to bloom for me indoors I had it originally growing under a shop light open room, ambient temps (60-70). Then moved it to a tank lit by two 55 watt compact florescent lights and this tank easily got to 90 F per day . It probably did, but not to the level of 90 F per day. Currently, as I sit in my dorm room with my terrarium on my desk, it is just about 20 C (70 F) at my thermometer, which is up closer to the lights than the U. longifolia plant, (and just a few inches or so below the end of the blossom spike) An interesting thing to note (which I was going to start another thread about, but I will ask right here) is that the spike which came up over my winter break (So, early January, I will say, when the photo period was 12 hours for my terrarium) has stopped growing, it seems. There is a flower there, (Which seemed to be rotating, or something) but it has frozen in its growth, it has not continued to grow or develop within the past two weeks, not even a little. Do you think the move back to school (which would be no different from any move) shocked the plant and it has aborted the flower? As i have mentioned, its in a terrarium with no natural light, and the humidity shouldnt have changed dramatically, as all my other plants didnt so much as hickup with the move. Any thoughts would be appreciated! (I have, since the end of Janruary, been slowly increasing the photo period, so maybe that did it as well, even though I only added a half-an-hour of day light)
|
|
|
Post by kulamauiman on Feb 12, 2010 22:01:50 GMT
Mach, my experience is that many of the U. nelumbifolia "flower stalks" turn out to be tendrils seeking a new place to invade. Occasionally they develop into flowers, but for most of mine, if they find suitable media, "root" and become a plantlet. After surviving near freezing winter temperatures in my unheated greenhouse, the plants flower from June to October, but continue to also put out the tendrils seeking new areas. Aloha Bob, I was sort of wondering about that. I did notice the similarity between the tendrils and the flower stalk. Just one larger difference I observed was the initial diameter of the flower stalk was much larger. Also, the tendrils if deprived of a place to root seem to shrivel and dry up for me. I don't think I can force a tendril to become a flower stalk.
|
|
|
Post by ICPS-bob on Feb 12, 2010 22:30:55 GMT
I agree Mach. The tendrils do not become flower stalks. The tendrils are thinner and do dry up if they don't find a place to root. I initially got excited when I saw tendrils emerging, thinking them to be flower stalks, but then watching them to simply shrivel and dry up. Then I noticed that when they landed in adjacent pots, they formed new plants. Eventually, I got real flowers stalks that developed into flowers.
|
|
|
Post by RL7836 on Feb 17, 2010 21:35:25 GMT
Some suggestions I've read: - allow plant to become potbound (as mentioned) - provide natural food supply (or unnatural as Dave suggests) - provide seasonal time changes (photoperiod) - provide other seasonal changes that the plant may see in its natural environment: ... increase / decrease temperatures ... induce flooding or dry periods - combine several of the above. Example: allow the plant to become potbound and provide a dry, cold 'winter' with reduced photoperiod. In the last month, 2 U. longifolia & 2 U. nelumbifolia have started flower stalks. - U. longifolia (#1) - east facing windowsill, potbound in 10 cm pot (4"), peat-based media, no change in watering. Being next to winter window, it experienced reduced temperatures. - U. longifolia (#2) - under lights with attempt to somewhat mimic seasonal photoperiod change, not potbound, peat-based media mix, in netpot half-suspended in jar of water with bladders in water pool, no change in water level, temps somewhat cooler in winter as we reduce temps in house (~65*F during day - lower at night) - U. nelumbifolia (#1) - basement under lights, netpot w/ all live LFS media suspended in pot of water, attempt to mimic seasonal photoperiod, not potbound - U. nelumbifolia (#2) - same as #1 - except in regular pot on tray system, not only is this plant not potbound - it is a new plant from an aerial stolon and has only one leaf of it's own (for ~1.5 months). Due to plant size, I snipped flower stalk to reduce impact on plant. - another U. nelumbifolia in same exact conditions as #1 - except peat-based media is growing much more weakly and has yet to show a flower stalk. - This is my 1st year growing U. nelumbifolia so I don't know if these conditions will continue to stimulate flower production - I also have a larger U. reniformis in a drier mode in cooler backroom with VFTs. I have not yet started to water it regularly. Although it was growing vigorously in the fall before it went into 'winter mode', it was not yet potbound. I will post updates if it decides to flower. - U. humboldtii in same conditions (& proximity) to U. nelumbifolia have not shown any flower stalks. - other assorted Orchidioides utrics in close proximity to U. nelumbifolia have not shown any flower activity
|
|
|
Post by kulamauiman on Mar 20, 2010 3:25:34 GMT
As promised. And yes I self pollinated the first flower. Testing un-drained containers to mimic bromeliad urns. using the one gallon water bottles that the recycling place didn't want: . Seems like it has given the start of u. nelumbifolia a boost in growth from the time I put it into this thing. might be a good way to keep/grow the large emergent species wanting LFS slurrys and went conditions. I am seeing the practical benefits to using somthing like this to contain U. longifolia and prevent the various clones from spreading and mixing or invading other plants in the collection. I have one pot of D. paradoxa that is hoplessly infested . Mahalo, Mach Fukada
|
|
|
Post by teinkes on Apr 10, 2010 18:29:33 GMT
Hi again
after a cold winter I still have no flowers, but it looks like U. praelonge is producing a few flower stems. or can it be the long leaves? Pots are flooded now
I had some temperature down till 2°C during winter in the veranda and up to 15°C in day. All survived U. dichotoma, reniformis, praelonga exept U. alpina. maybe the growing media was not dry enough.
I wonder to repot U reniformis in a bigger container so I would not need to disturb the thick rhizome for a while. what potsize do you guys use?
For U praelonga and U reniformis I use pots 13cm diameter; . maybe i need to take bigger for U. reniformis like 20cm pots.
I put a U dichotoma 10cm pot outside ( full sunlight) and one 10 cm pot inside on a bright place in the veranda, flooded. I will post some results later.
|
|
|
Post by kulamauiman on Apr 11, 2010 0:39:07 GMT
U. nelumbifolia seedlings
|
|
|
Post by adelea on Sept 13, 2013 0:58:49 GMT
Utric's can be induced in a few ways, generally australian utrics that are effected by drought in the wild will flower when their water table fluctuates (expecially nivea and limosa), however other species work on lighting, uliginosa and caerula will flower when grown in bright conditions and bifida flowers when moved from shade to full sun, however if kept in full sun will slow growth and flowering, so rotation is best, temp's are another, like many orchids, certain utrics will flower if they experince cool temps or cool then warm. Flowering does take energy, so only try to induce it if you have healtny plants, otherwise its a risk, i have had uliginosa flower to death, non stop for several months (over 7) in a small bowl. so again, rotation, find a spot they grow well in and then a spot they flower well in and rotate.
|
|
coline
Full Member
Life's essence: patience
Posts: 484
|
Post by coline on Oct 1, 2013 2:04:59 GMT
And how would you stop a flowering! I have this problem, my U. livida does not stop making flowers, and the plant seems to be very little now, not as big as before! a month ago I cut the flower stalks and it did not work
|
|
|
Post by adelea on Oct 2, 2013 8:37:56 GMT
Change conditions, maybe less light, lower humidity or a higher or lower water table, my livida only flowers for a few months then stops, I trigger it by increasing light and flooding the plant a few times, then to stop flowering I change to a lower/stable water level and less light, same with uliginosa and bifida.
|
|
coline
Full Member
Life's essence: patience
Posts: 484
|
Post by coline on Oct 2, 2013 18:47:53 GMT
Well, finally the days are getting less than 12 hours of light, I'll see if it helps, or then I'll put it on the back as it gets shade from the upper tray in the wall
|
|